Gilbert "Bib" Mahnen

In France I am not connected to internet (we live far away from modern times.) Anyway, I can hardly realize that half a century went by that we spent a wonderful year together in Topeka. Actually so many anecdotes return to my mind, that I am emotionally overwhelmed."

1) During December, we gathered in the auditorium to hear a Christmas program. As the choir finished performing a carol, I started to applaud, clapping my hands. But, I was the only one. All the people turned around, staring at me. I felt so ashamed that I wanted to find me back on the moon.

2) During springtime, after school was out for the day, we stayed there performing some sports activities. In the locker room, somebody discovered that by climbing into the air-conditioning ducts and crawling through the tubing, one could get into the cafeteria. By doing so, we were able to have access to a lot of sweets, cakes, pies, and so on. A real feast before getting home!